Has the EP mortally wounded the album? Maybe.

If it seems like more acts are releasing EPs over the last few years, it’s not your imagination. The new economy of the music industry makes releasing an EP a smarter financial move.

Hypebot looks at the rise of the EP and the decline of the LP.

Thanks to digital streaming, YouTube, Record Store Day, and any other distribution platform out there not named MTV, more than ever, music comes at us fast, furious, and in bite-sized pieces.

Artists don’t take time off between albums anymore. Instead, they’ll throw out a random single that may or may not be tied to any forthcoming album. Beck just did it a few years back with the tandem of “Dreams” and “Wow,” well before he included them on his eventual album Colours.

“Luminous moose” aside, he’s not alone. Artists are now releasing new music like social media posts on sites like SoundCloud. The music industry has basically become its own form of social media, as fans have come to expect rapid fire releases from their favorite artists, and it’s changing the way we experience musical media.

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About the Author

Alan Cross is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker.
In his 30+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.